Burlington Records in The Press
Dig In: A-Dog Sells His Records
Christmas in March? For vinyl nuts it just might be.
According to a recent post on his blog, Queen City turntablist DJ A-Dog has sold his records. No, not just a crate or two. His entire collection. Burlington Records announced today via Facebook that they are in possession of A-Dog’s stash, which totaled more than 25 crates. A-Dog even made a quick video to commemorate the occasion, which you can check out here.
Responding to an email inquiry, A-Dog suggests that the collection had become more cumbersome than it was worth, writing that he is, “just getting rid of a lot of weight that I don’t use anymore.” For the last few years, the veteran DJ has primarily been gigging with Serato, a digital program that connects turntables to computerized music libraries and essentially negates the need to haul record crates from club to club.
As for selling to Burlington Records, he notes, “I feel good about it because they are the kind of place that gets enjoyment out of recycling the music into the next generation’s hands.”
Let the digging begin.
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Burlington Records, another vinyl resurgence story, one week after opening our doors…Burlington Records, WCAX Channel 3 News Burlington Vermont, 4/8/09
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Full Circle: Vinyl is making a “comeback” — but did it ever really go away?
Seven Days Alternative Weekly 4/8/09
This is another vinyl resurgence article….the interview was done 4/1/09, opening day. Pat Quimby and I were both on about 4 hours sleep and way too much adrenaline which, makes for some weird statements, swear words, but also brings out the most important statement regarding the vinyl resurgence: “It never fucking went anywhere”.
The article kind of frames Burlington Records as the “high end” shop because we are knowledgable, well organized, etc. The truth of the matter is that knowledge about records usually means lower prices as the less knowledgable shops put top book values on anything with the words Beatles, Hendrix or Miles Davis on them, regardless of condition, whereas we put them in the $1.00 bin where they belong.
Record stores are the cultural centers of music communities; they’re as much a part of a music scene’s identity as are its bands and clubs. And you can tell a lot about a city by spending some time in a record store perusing the band flyers, local stacks and used bins. So it follows that when one closes, the negative effects reverberate widely.
From The Seven Days article:
But what about the rare occasion when a record store opens?
Jacob Grossi, 35, is hoping his new shop, Burlington Records, will provide the Queen City another door into its music community. The wiry, bespectacled collectibles fanatic also owns Montpelier’s Riverwalk Records and is keenly aware of the place such shops hold.
“Music is about so much more than the music itself,” Grossi says. “It’s the culture. It’s the look. It’s the feel. And a lot of that is being lost through digitization. You’re losing the physical element.”
That element — the rock ’n’ roll aesthetic — is evident throughout the small Bank Street storefront that formerly housed the Grannis Gallery. Original concert posters and show flyers dating back decades frame stacks upon stacks of vinyl — 5000 records now, with more on the way. Newspaper ads featuring the likes of Jimi Hendrix and The Who hang next to yellowed copies of Rolling Stone. Along a side wall, analog speakers stand guard over antiquated stereo equipment. The shop also sells vintage clothing on its second floor.
Grossi — whose uncle, Jack Grossi, was the owner of Tucson’s legendary PDQ Records — speaks at length about the physical properties of vinyl, and points to the quality of album art as a key factor in its appeal. Album art has necessarily gotten smaller over time, shrinking from 12-inch-square LP covers to CD sleeves to intangible jpeg files.
“As they’re losing [the physical element], a lot of people are trying to grab onto it,” Grossi says, referring to both the records and the associated memorabilia. Read the full article here